Who are We

Established in 1962, the mission of the Gatineau Valley Historical Society (GVHS) is to promote matters of historical or heritage significance in the Gatineau Valley in west Quebec.

The GVHS organizes regular monthly talks on local or national heritage topics, as well as historical walks, tours and exhibits. An annual Remembrance Day ceremony is held at the Cenotaph in the Chelsea Pioneer Cemetery. The Society supports itself through its popular annual auction of antiques and collectibles, held each August in Chelsea.

The Society operates the Pat Evans Archives from September to June, which provides reference and genealogical services and houses the Image Bank's collection of over 8,000 historic photos and maps. The GVHS website is a robust repository which includes details of news and events. Members and researchers can also directly access thousands of documents, newspaper articles and view selected low resolution images from the Image Bank. The GVHS communicates with its members through a quarterly newsletter.

The Society sells a range of products dealing with the Gatineau Valley's history, such as books, maps, digital or print copies of historic photographs and laminated and mounted photographic panoramas of areas including Kirk's Ferry, Farm Point and Cascades.

Up the Gatineau! is the Society's annual local history journal, first published in 1975. Many authors have contributed stories over the years on a broad range of topics related to the Gatineau Valley. In 1984, in honour of its retiring longtime president, the Society established the "Arthur Davison Prize," awarded annually to the person judged to have made the most outstanding contribution to Up the Gatineau!